Opus Hotel Vancouver

In a perfect world Vancouver might have a half-dozen hotels like this — but in the real world we’ve got to make do with just one. Opus Hotel Vancouver is, first of all, quite possibly the best-located hotel in town — its Yaletown neighborhood is full of life, packed with hip restaurants, cafés, galleries, and shops, and has a visual character that’s far more appealing than Vancouver’s central business district. And this character includes the Opus itself, a stylish contemporary structure whose brick-fronted facade lends it an extra measure of inviting warmth, a hint at what’s inside.

The freshly renovated interiors don’t disappoint, either — the colors are bold, and the décor navigates a tasteful middle path that’s equal parts elegance and fun. Rooms and suites come Frette linens, Malin + Goetz bath products, Nespresso machines, Herman Miller chairs, and iPads for use both in-room and around town. It’s a hip hotel with all the comforts of a luxury hotel, and they don’t cut corners on the spa-like bathrooms or the fully functional working desks.

Capo, the restaurant, transitions effortlessly from breakfast and weekend brunch to wood-fired sourdough-crust pizza for lunch and dinner. The Spritz, the lobby-adjacent cocktail bar, is a Yaletown fixture, assembling locals and hotel guests in an attractive space that features live music on Wednesday nights and DJs on the weekends. There’s that ineffable sense that there’s no place else to be — and for a hotel like this that’s the whole ball game.